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Boston Globe
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Boston Globe
China has a lock on rare metals. Does this startup have a crowbar?
The US was once a major supplier of rare earths. But mining and refining the stuff is a deeply toxic business that fell afoul of environmental regulations. US companies abandoned the market to China, which was less concerned about the pollution problem. Now, Phoenix Tailings hopes to revive the industry by extracting the metals from 'tailings,' the rubble created by mining for other minerals, such as iron. It turns out this inexpensive waste matter is full of rare earths. Villalon says his company has developed a new way to capture and refine this metal, while generating virtually no toxic waste. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Indeed, Phoenix Tailings has already begun, according to chief executive Nick Myers. 'We ship on the tonnage scale globally today,' said Myers. 'The primary amount of our contracts are with the automotive sector.' Myers wouldn't identify specific customers, but said that the company's pilot plant in Burlington can put out a maximum of 40 tons of rare earth metals per year. Advertisement In addition, Phoenix Tailings just closed a $76 million funding round to pay for a factory in Exeter, NH capable of making between 200 and 400 tons of refined rare earths per year. Investors include the venture firm Escape Velocity, carmaker BMW and the venture arms of Japanese companies Sumitomo and Yamaha. Advertisement Phoenix Tailings has also begun preliminary planning on a still larger plant with an annual capacity of 2000 tons. Meyer estimates that such a plant could produce 30 percent of the rare earths needed by US civilian industries, and much of the military's needs as well, and could be in operation by 2027. Success isn't assured. Jonathan Hykawy, president of Only 390,000 tons of rare earth oxides were produced worldwide last year, compared to 2.5 billion metric tons of iron. Just 45,000 tons were mined in the US, but nearly all of it was shipped to China to be processed into usable metal. Neodymium and praseodymium are especially prized by carmakers because adding them to an electric motor's iron-based magnets produces a stronger magnetic field and a more powerful and energy-efficient motor. It takes only a little — about five pounds of rare earths in a typical electric car. But 17 million EVs were produced last year, so it adds up. Advertisement Then there are wind turbines. Adding neodymium to a windmill magnet can produce up to 25 percent more power than a regular iron magnet. These magnets weigh several tons, with rare earths making up around a quarter of their total weight. That's several hundred pounds of rare earths for every wind turbine, and 23,000 such turbines were installed worldwide last year, with thousands more on the way. Tomas Villalon is chief technology officer for Phoenix Tailings. David L. Ryan/ Boston Globe Staff In short, we're going to need a lot more rare earths. Villalon and Myers began working the problem in 2019, before most people had begun thinking about it. The two men met through prayer. Villalon, a Roman Catholic, got to know Myers during a Catholic religious retreat in Cambridge. Myers is Greek Orthodox, but he showed up anyway. 'It's close enough,' Meyer said Besides, he added, 'I like the people.' The two men shared a background in science and a shared interest in minerals and clean energy. Myers earned a physics degree at St. Michaels College in Vermont and an MBA from Northeastern University, while Villalon earned an undergraduate degree in materials science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate at Boston University. 'We started talking about, how do we make the metals that power the next 50 years of our civilization?' said Villalon. He and Myers targeted rare earth refining because it's particularly dirty. In 2019 Villalon, Myers, Michelle Chao, another MIT materials scientist, and chief commercial officer Anthony Balladon got to work, building an experimental refining system in Villalon's back yard. Instead of using traditional ores, they focused on tailings, which are cheap and plentiful. The challenge was figuring out how to extract the rare earths stored therein. Advertisement They hit upon a solution of water and solvents that would dissolve the rare earths. The liquid is mixed with molten salts, heated to about 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit, then pumped over electrified membranes that capture the rare earth metals in pure form. There's virtually no toxic waste. The solvents and salts are reused, and the leftover tailings can be buried. The resulting process can be fine-tuned for each of the 17 rare earth metals. Phoenix Tailings is producing four rare earths so far, and can begin offering others if market conditions make it worthwhile. The system works with tailings, but can also extract rare earths from old ground-up EV batteries. And Villalon said it can also be modified to extract lithium from vast underground brine deposits in the southern US. It's good news for the Pentagon, because rare earth-based magnets are vital to many military systems. The US is especially worried about samarium, a rare earth used in making magnets that can withstand extreme heat. At present, all the world's refined samarium comes from China. But Meyer said the New Hampshire plant will be able to produce samarium in small quantities, while completely satisfying military demand for neodymium, praseodymium and two other critical metals, dysprosium-ferroalloy and terbium. And Villalon said the company is in discussions with the US Defense Department about its rare earth needs. While most industry experts say it'll take a decade or more to rebuild US rare earths industry, Villalon and Myers say their system is relatively easy to build and easy to scale. Advertisement 'With traditional technologies you're looking at 15 to 20 years to be able to build and deploy these things,' said Meyer. 'We can scale up in a fraction of that time.' It might not help during the current trade spat with China. But in some future dispute, Phoenix Tailings might give the US a few more cards to play. Hiawatha Bray can be reached at
South China Morning Post
08-03-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
South China Sea: Philippines deploys ‘Angels' to ease tensions with words not weapons
On the bridge of her Philippine ship, Seawoman Second Class Stephane Villalon's voice reverberated as she issued a radio challenge to a much larger Chinese coastguard vessel in a disputed area of the South China Sea. Advertisement The 152-centimetre-tall (five feet) radio operator is one of the Philippine coastguard's 81 'Angels of the Sea', graduates of an all-women training programme aimed at defusing encounters in the critical waterway. 'China coastguard vessel 5303, this is Philippine coastguard vessel BRP Bagacay MRRV-4410. You are advised that you are currently sailing within the Philippine exclusive economic zone,' she said during an encounter videotaped last month. 'You are directed to depart immediately and notify us of your intention.' Villalon's action during the incident was precisely what the coastguard envisioned when it launched the Angels programme four years ago. Advertisement
Arab News
07-03-2025
- General
- Arab News
Philippine ‘Angels' aim to de-escalate South China Sea encounters
MANILA: Seawoman Second Class Stephane Villalon's voice reverberated on the bridge of her Philippine ship as she issued a radio challenge to a much larger Chinese Coast Guard vessel in a disputed area of the South China Sea. The five-foot-tall (152-centimeter) radio operator is one of the Philippine Coast Guard's 81 'Angels of the Sea,' graduates of an all-women training program aimed at defusing encounters in the critical waterway. 'China Coast Guard vessel 5303, this is Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Bagacay MRRV-4410. You are advised that you are currently sailing within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone,' she said during an encounter videotaped last month. 'You are directed to depart immediately and notify us of your intention.' Villalon's action during the incident was precisely what the coast guard envisioned when it launched the Angels program four years ago. Beijing claims most of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis, and its coast guard has clashed repeatedly with that of the Philippines, sparking fears of an armed conflict. '(The program) helps with our engagement with the China Coast Guard because we are utilizing women, who are naturally not aggressive, not confrontational,' Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Algier Ricafrente told AFP. That framing of women's nature drew charges of sexism when the program first launched in 2021. Congresswoman Arlene Brosas argued at the time it trivialized the South China Sea dispute by suggesting 'maternal' voices might calm situations. But while Philippine geopolitics analyst Andrea Wong agreed overemphasizing 'female characteristics' was problematic, she told AFP the program was a 'positive effort' capable of utilizing women's strengths in a real way. 'The most important thing is harnessing their full potential, whether it be their language skills (or) communication skills.' For Villalon, the radio operator, the program's central premise needs no defending. 'A woman's patience, composure and the ability to respond or to communicate with empathy makes us unique, makes us more fit for this role,' the 28-year-old told AFP. While the Philippine Coast Guard has hundreds of operators, it is the Angels who are routinely dispatched for missions in tense areas of the South China Sea, Ricafrente said. 'Angels of the Sea is a testament that there are things that women can do more effectively than men, especially in our thrust of communicating with our maritime law enforcement counterparts,' he said. 'They don't feel threatened when they talk to women.' Villalon said she felt proud to represent Filipinos in spaces typically dominated by men, especially with regional tensions rising. 'I focus on my job ... (and) just deliver my speech,' she said of her approach during encounters with Chinese vessels, adding she drew inspiration from her mother, a housewife who taught her to always stand her ground. Villalon told AFP her Chinese counterpart's tone went from aggressive to calm as she addressed him during last month's episode near the contested Scarborough Shoal. Spokesman Ricafrente said the coast guard was committed to exhausting every means of de-escalating tensions in the South China Sea. 'Nobody wants war, nobody wants conflict... the business of the coast guard is peace,' Ricafrente said, quoting Coast Guard Commandant Ronnie Gil Gavan, who dreamt up the Angels program while still a district commander. Ricafrente said the coast guard hopes to train another batch of Angels this year to coincide with the arrival of new ships from Japan and France that will be used for patrols in the South China Sea. While some question the program's effectiveness, Villalon — who will soon start Mandarin classes to improve her communication skills — — said she believes in the importance of using 'words instead of weapons.' 'I have come to realize that I am the kind of woman who is brave,' Villalon said. 'Not just because I am willing to fight, but because I want to make fighting unnecessary.'
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Philippine 'Angels' aim to de-escalate South China Sea encounters
Seawoman Second Class Stephane Villalon's voice reverberated on the bridge of her Philippine ship as she issued a radio challenge to a much larger Chinese Coast Guard vessel in a disputed area of the South China Sea. The five-foot-tall (152-centimetre) radio operator is one of the Philippine Coast Guard's 81 "Angels of the Sea", graduates of an all-women training programme aimed at defusing encounters in the critical waterway. "China Coast Guard vessel 5303, this is Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Bagacay MRRV-4410. You are advised that you are currently sailing within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone," she said during an encounter videotaped last month. "You are directed to depart immediately and notify us of your intention." Villalon's action during the incident was precisely what the coast guard envisioned when it launched the Angels programme four years ago. Beijing claims most of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis, and its coast guard has clashed repeatedly with that of the Philippines, sparking fears of an armed conflict. "(The programme) helps with our engagement with the China Coast Guard because we are utilising women, who are naturally not aggressive, not confrontational," Coast Guard Spokesman Commodore Algier Ricafrente told AFP. That framing of women's nature drew charges of sexism when the programme first launched in 2021. Congresswoman Arlene Brosas argued at the time it trivialised the South China Sea dispute by suggesting "maternal" voices might calm situations. But while Philippine geopolitics analyst Andrea Wong agreed overemphasising "female characteristics" was problematic, she told AFP the programme was a "positive effort" capable of utilising women's strengths in a real way. "The most important thing is harnessing their full potential, whether it be their language skills (or) communication skills." For Villalon, the radio operator, the programme's central premise needs no defending. "A woman's patience, composure and the ability to respond or to communicate with empathy makes us unique, makes us more fit for this role," the 28-year-old told AFP. While the Philippine Coast Guard has hundreds of operators, it is the Angels who are routinely dispatched for missions in tense areas of the South China Sea, Ricafrente said. "Angels of the Sea is a testament that there are things that women can do more effectively than men, especially in our thrust of communicating with our maritime law enforcement counterparts," he said. "They don't feel threatened when they talk to women." - 'Words instead of weapons' - Villalon said she felt proud to represent Filipinas in spaces typically dominated by men, especially with regional tensions rising. "I focus on my job... (and) just deliver my speech," she said of her approach during encounters with Chinese vessels, adding she drew inspiration from her mother, a housewife who taught her to always stand her ground. Villalon told AFP her Chinese counterpart's tone went from aggressive to calm as she addressed him during last month's episode near the contested Scarborough Shoal. Spokesman Ricafrente said the coast guard was committed to exhausting every means of de-escalating tensions in the South China Sea. "Nobody wants war, nobody wants conflict... the business of the coast guard is peace," Ricafrente said, quoting Coast Guard Commandant Ronnie Gil Gavan, who dreamt up the Angels programme while still a district commander. Ricafrente said the coast guard hopes to train another batch of Angels this year to coincide with the arrival of new ships from Japan and France that will be used for patrols in the South China Sea. While some question the programme's effectiveness, Villalon -- who will soon start Mandarin classes to improve her communication skills -- said she believes in the importance of using "words instead of weapons". "I have come to realise that I am the kind of woman who is brave," Villalon said. "Not just because I am willing to fight, but because I want to make fighting unnecessary." pam/cwl/stu
